This invention relates to a carpet having a deodorizing function, i.e. which is capable of efficiently removing chemical and other malodorous substances such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, ammonium and acetic acid in the air.
Modern houses are highly airtight and built densely, so that various odors come from everywhere in daily life. The components causing such odors include ammonium, trimethylamine, hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercapton and acetic acid, and most notably, cigarette smoke.
Among these substances, chemical substances such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, which mainly originate from building materials such as floor and wall materials, reportedly cause what is now called as the xe2x80x9csick-house syndromexe2x80x9d even if their concentrations are so low as to produce no recognizable smells.
In order to remove such malodorous and chemical substances, which are odorless in low concentrations but can cause the xe2x80x9csick-house syndromexe2x80x9d, from air in the house, carpets having a deodorizing function are now attracting attention.
Such conventional carpets carry a predetermined amount of deodorant on their front fibrous portion.
But the deodorant carried in such an amount that it can perform a sufficient deodorizing function tends to impair the drape or tint of the carpet and also tends to come off by friction or washing and lose its deodorizing function quickly.
An object of the invention is to provide a carpet carrying a deodorant that is resistant to washing and wear and thus capable of maintaining its deodorizing function for a long time, and is less likely to impair drape and feeling to the touch and color or tint.
According to the present invention, there is provided a carpet comprising a backing layer and a fiber layer formed on one side of said backing layer, and a deodorant carried partially on the backing layer and partially on the fiber layer.
By carrying a deodorant not only on the fiber layer but both on the fiber layer and on the backing layer, it is possible to suppress the worsening of drape and tint due to the carrying of a deodorant on the fiber layer.
By carrying a deodorant on the backing layer, too, resistances both to wear and to washing improve and good sustainability of deodorizing function can be expected. Besides, the deodorant carried on the fiber layer exhibits good initial deodorizing performance.
If the deodorant is distributed to the fiber layer and the backing layer at a weight ratio of 50:50 to 5:95, the carpet will exhibit better deodorizing function than if the total amount of deodorant is carried only to the fiber layer or only to the backing layer.
As a deodorant, an amine compound having an average particle diameter of 20 xcexcm or under is preferable. Also, an inorganic substance may be mixed with the amine compound.
The total amount of the deodorant should be 2.5 to 30 grams per square meter and the deodorant should be distributed to the fiber layer and the backing layer at the abovesaid weight ratio.
The amine compound serves as a deodorant to remove chemical and malodor substances such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde. The use of an inorganic substance with a deodorant makes it possible to remove chemical substances such as ammonia and acetic acid which cannot be removed by only an amine compound with a good efficiency.
Other features and objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: